NL West Gambling Report: Dodgers Dominate as Rest Stumble | Point Spreads

The National League West is quickly turning into a runaway. The Los Angeles Dodgers were wide favorites to win the division before the season started. They haven’t done anything to change that and own the biggest lead among MLB division leaders. Part of that is due to the lackluster play of the other teams in the division. But L.A. is also getting it done on the field.

With the MLB season at the one-quarter mark, it’s time to see how teams are stacking up compared to the preseason MLB predictions. Here is the NL West gambling report for the season’s first quarter.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks are 20-23 in the NL West standings, which is below where they were expected to be. Arizona was tied for No. 2 in the division odds at +1100, but it trails the Dodgers by 8.5 games. The win total on Arizona was 84.5, so they would need to finish a few games above .500 to cash the ticket. The Diamondbacks are winning at a .465 clip, so they’re falling short.

The good news for Arizona is the team’s x-W/L record is 23-20 due to its +14 run differential. Breaks tend to even out a bit throughout the MLB season, so the Diamondbacks could win a few that they should have lost. Arizona will have to win at a .542 clip the rest of the way to cash the over. That’s a tall order, but not impossible.

Colorado Rockies

The NL West gambling report shows the Rockies falling short of expectations, although they currently own the longest winning streak in MLB. Even with six straight wins, Colorado is winning just .333 of its games, but with a win total of 60.5, it’s not out of the question. The Rockies were the longest shots in the division to win the title at +17500 and are already 14 games back.

There isn’t much you can say positive about Colorado’s performance so far. The team is a respectable 9-12 at home, but just 5-16 on the road. The Rockies must go 47-73 the rest of the season to cash the over. That’s just a .391 winning percentage, but it’s proven too much in the early part of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

There were high expectations for the Dodgers before the season began, but so far they’ve been up to the task. The Dodgers were the favored in the odds to win the World Series and also the prohibitive division favorites at -1100. With a 7.5-game lead in the standings, they’re looking pretty good in that aspect. The win total was high at 103.5, although so far Los Angeles is playing at a 107-win pace. Reaching 104 wins isn’t guaranteed, but certainly is obtainable.

The Dodgers need to stay motivated, which isn’t always easy for a veteran team that already has a large lead. The talent is certainly there, but with such a high win total, they can’t let up. Los Angeles is exceeding the division odds and the win total so far, so it’s hard to find fault.

San Diego Padres

San Diego is in second place in the NL West, trailing Los Angeles by 7.5 games. The Padres were tied with Arizona in the division odds at +1100, so they were a long way to finish in front of L.A. San Diego’s win total was 83.5 games, which is just a .515 winning percentage. That’s still higher than the actual .489 winning percentage San Diego has played to this season. Much like Arizona, the Padres x-W/L is higher. San Diego should be 24-21 based on its run differential.

The Padres have been terrible at home, going 10-15 so far. San Diego is a solid 12-8 on the road, showing a decent profit away from home in MLB betting. The Padres have some talent but need them to pick it up a notch. San Diego wasn’t expected to have a great season and right now, it’s on the fence regarding the season win total. A few more home wins will help the team get there. San Diego is 11-9 against teams with greater than a .500 winning percentage, so there is some reason for optimism.

San Francisco Giants

The NL West gambling report shows the Giants in fourth place in the division with a 19-25 record. The win total for San Francisco was 83.5, so they’re falling well short of that mark in the early going. The Giants are just 8-15 away from home, although their biggest weakness has been against winning teams. San Francisco is just 1-11 against teams with a winning record. Not only is that the worst record in the division, it’s the worst in Major League Baseball.

San Francisco has a -49 run differential, so its x-W/L record is just 17-27. The Giants have won a few more games than they should have, but that’s not something you can count on to continue. Unless something changes in a hurry for the Giants, it’s shaping up to be a disappointing season.

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